Crash Data
Red-Light Runners Killed Record New Yorkers in 2023: Where the Camera Data Stands Now
Red-light running deaths hit a Vision Zero record in 2023, all at intersections without cameras. Camera expansion, VTL 1111 liability, and enforcement data.
Key Finding
Drivers running red lights killed 29 New Yorkers in 2023, the highest annual red-light running death toll in the city's recorded history, and every one of those crashes happened at an intersection without a red-light camera. NYPD moving-violation enforcement has fallen by more than a third compared to the pre-pandemic baseline. NYC's red-light camera program covered about 150 intersections out of more than 13,000 signalized crossings citywide, and the state has since authorized expansion to 600. The 2025 fatality count came down from the 2024 spike, but the underlying enforcement gap is still wide.
29
New Yorkers killed by red-light runners in 2023, a record, and every crash happened at an intersection without a camera. NYPD moving-violation enforcement fell 38% below the pre-pandemic baseline. Cameras covered about 1.1% of NYC's 13,000+ signalized intersections, now expanding to 600.
In the first half of 2024, 127 New Yorkers were killed in traffic. That was the highest six-month total since the Vision Zero program launched in 2014. By the end of September, the count had reached 194.
That spike followed a record set the year before: in 2023, drivers running red lights killed 29 New Yorkers, the highest annual count of red-light fatalities in the city’s recorded history. Every one of those crashes happened at an intersection without a red-light camera.
The 2025 total came down. Through September 2025, traffic deaths had fallen 18 percent compared to the same period the year before. But the structural gap that produced the 2023 record and the 2024 spike has not closed. NYPD moving-violation enforcement is a fraction of what it was before the pandemic.
The red-light camera program covered about one percent of the city’s signalized intersections, and a state-authorized expansion to 600 is only now underway. And the fine for a camera-issued red-light ticket has not changed since the program began.
We mapped red-light running across the city, the gaps in enforcement, and the civil liability that follows when a driver kills or injures someone.
The 2023 Record and the 2024 Spike
Transportation Alternatives, working from NYC DOT and NYPD data, flagged 2024 as the worst Vision Zero year for several categories at once. The headline number: 127 deaths in the first half of 2024, the highest six-month total of the program’s first decade. The full first three quarters reached 194 deaths.
The single most striking factor showed up the year before.
NYC DOT and NYPD records, as compiled by Transportation Alternatives and reported by Patch.com, showed that drivers running red lights killed 29 New Yorkers in 2023, the highest annual count since the program began and more than double the prior decade’s average.
Every one of those 29 deaths happened at an intersection without a red-light camera.
Red-light running incidents jumped 56 percent between 2020 and 2023. The metric tracks fatalities in crashes where running a red light was a contributing factor identified in the police accident report.
Two patterns drove the increase. First, intersection speeds rose during and after the pandemic and never fully returned to pre-2020 levels. Second, the volume of moving-violation enforcement collapsed and stayed collapsed.
The Enforcement Gap
NYPD issued about 283,000 moving violations citywide through May 2024. The same five-month window in 2023 produced about 302,000 violations. The same window in 2019, before the pandemic, produced about 461,000 violations. The 2024 number is roughly 38 percent below the pre-pandemic baseline.
Moving-violation enforcement is the only mechanism that produces points on a driver’s license, reports to insurance carriers, and the broader behavioral signal that running a red light has consequences beyond a $50 mailer. The collapse of that enforcement removes the strongest deterrent in the system.
The red-light camera program does not fill the gap. Authorized under VTL § 1111-a , the program covered approximately 150 intersections for most of its history, a hard cap set by the state.
A 2024 law lifted that cap to 600, and NYC DOT began activating the new cameras in early 2026, rolling out 50 per week toward the full 600 by the end of the year.
Even at 600, the cameras would reach under 5 percent of the city’s more than 13,000 signalized intersections. Through the 2023 record and the 2024 spike, they covered roughly 1.1 percent.
A driver running a red light at one of the thousands of uncovered intersections faces no automated consequence at all unless an NYPD officer happens to witness the violation.
The fine structure compounds the gap. A camera-issued ticket carries a $50 civil penalty, no points, no insurance consequence. The driver pays $50 and the file closes. A driver who runs a red light through ten different uncovered intersections in a year faces zero financial consequence.
What 2025 Looked Like
Through September 2025, traffic deaths reached 159, an 18 percent decline from the 194 recorded through the same period in 2024. NYC DOT credited a combination of factors: post-spike rebound effects, expanded protected bike lane mileage, and street redesigns at high-injury corridors.
The decline is welcome. It does not change the structural picture. The NYPD enforcement collapse is still in place. The red-light camera footprint only started expanding in 2026, and the rollout to 600 intersections is still underway.
The 2023 record and the 2024 spike showed how thin the margin is between the city’s current trajectory and a far worse one.
Where Red-Light Running Causes the Most Damage
Red-light running crashes cluster at a specific set of intersection types. NYC DOT’s high-injury network analysis and Transportation Alternatives reporting consistently flag the same categories:
Wide multi-lane corridors with long signal cycles. Queens Boulevard, Atlantic Avenue, Northern Boulevard, Linden Boulevard. Drivers misjudge yellow-to-red timing on these streets because the signal cycles are long and the temptation to “make it” is high.
Off-peak hours on commercial avenues. The most lethal red-light crashes occur during the 7 PM to 4 AM window, when traffic volumes are lower, speeds are higher, and pedestrians crossing on a green walk signal are struck by drivers who are not anticipating their presence.
Left-turn conflicts on permitted left-turn signals. Drivers running a red light on the through-movement leg of an intersection often collide with pedestrians who have entered the crosswalk on a permitted-left phase. NYC DOT has been retrofitting these intersections with split-phase signals, but the work is slow and concentrated in Manhattan.
The geographic distribution follows the high-injury network. NYC DOT’s Vision Zero data shows that a small share of city streets, the priority corridors and intersections, carries a disproportionate share of pedestrian deaths and severe injuries. The same corridors produce a disproportionate share of red-light running deaths.
Civil Liability After a Red-Light Crash
For an injured person or surviving family, a red-light running crash is one of the more straightforward liability cases in personal injury law. The reasons:
The violation is a statutory anchor. VTL § 1111(d) requires drivers to stop at a steady red signal. A driver who proceeded through a red is in violation of the statute.
In New York, an unexcused statutory violation can be used as evidence of negligence, and in some cases can support a finding of negligence per se.
The evidence is often documented. Camera intersections produce time-stamped photographs of the violation. Even at non-camera intersections, signal timing data, witness statements, dashcam footage, and the police accident report typically establish whether the light was red when the at-fault driver entered the intersection.
The NYPD TrafficStat database and NYC Vision Zero View crash map can be used to document prior incidents at the same intersection.
Comparative fault is rarely a major defense. Pedestrians and cyclists with the right of way, and drivers with a green light on the conflicting movement, are usually not at fault for being where the law put them. New York’s comparative negligence rule under CPLR § 1411 reduces recovery by the injured party’s share of fault.
For motor vehicle lawsuits filed on or after May 26, 2026, CPLR § 1411(b), added by Bill A10008 (Chapter 58 of 2026), bars recovery when that share is greater than the combined fault of the defendants. In red-light cases the issue rarely arises.
Damages can be substantial. Red-light crashes at NYC arterial speeds, especially involving pedestrians or cyclists, frequently produce traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, multiple fractures, and death.
Verdicts and settlements in NYC for serious red-light crash injuries routinely run into the seven and eight figures. The 2024 NY Top 50 verdict list documents the scale of the largest New York personal injury recoveries.
What to Do After a Red-Light Crash
Three things matter in the first 24 to 48 hours.
Preserve the signal evidence. NYC DOT maintains signal timing logs and, at camera intersections, photographs. The signal logs are public records but require a specific FOIL request. A delay of even a few weeks can mean lost data on smaller systems.
Get the police accident report and any 311 traffic complaints for the location. A history of complaints about driver behavior at the intersection can support a claim that NYC DOT had constructive notice of a known hazard, particularly relevant if the intersection lacks pedestrian timing improvements that have been installed at similar high-risk crossings.
Note
If the at-fault driver was operating a city vehicle, or if an NYC DOT signal malfunction contributed, a Notice of Claim under General Municipal Law § 50-e must be filed within 90 days. Missing this deadline bars the claim.
The personal injury statute of limitations is three years under CPLR § 214(5). Wrongful death claims must be filed within two years under EPTL § 5-4.1.
The civil case is not where pedestrian and cyclist deaths get prevented. That work belongs to NYC DOT’s signal timing program, NYPD’s moving-violation desk, and the state legislature’s red-light camera authorization. But when prevention fails, the civil system is what compensates the families who are left behind.
The Math
The 2023 record and the 2024 spike happened because the inputs added up to it. Lower NYPD enforcement plus longer signal cycles plus a camera program that covered about one percent of intersections plus a $50 fine that does not register as a deterrent equals more drivers running more red lights at higher speeds.
The 2025 decline happened because some of those inputs softened. The decline does not mean the structural problem has been solved. It means the city pulled back from the worst version of itself for one year.
Red-light running fatalities are a measurable category. They are concentrated on specific corridors. They respond to specific interventions: split-phase signals, expanded camera coverage, restored moving-violation enforcement, and signal timing changes. The data is clear. What is missing is sustained political will to act on it.
Sources
- NYC DOT. Vision Zero Annual Report. https://www.nyc.gov/content/visionzero/pages/vision-zero-action-plan-progress
- NYPD. TrafficStat Moving-Violation Data. https://www.nyc.gov/site/nypd/stats/traffic-data/traffic-data-collision.page
- Transportation Alternatives. Transportation Alternatives: Act Now to Protect New York City's Red-Light Camera Program (29 red-light running deaths in 2023, all at non-camera intersections, with 2024 fatality analysis). https://transalt.org/newsletter/act-now-to-protect-new-york-citys-red-light-camera-program
- Patch. (2024). Traffic In 2024 Kills Most New Yorkers Since 'Vision Zero' Began. https://patch.com/new-york/new-york-city/traffic-2024-kills-most-new-yorkers-vision-zero-began
- News 12 Bronx. NYC Traffic Deaths on Steady Decline, Vision Zero Data Says. https://bronx.news12.com/nyc-traffic-deaths-on-steady-decline-vision-zero-data-says
- NYC DOT. NYC Vision Zero View Crash Database. https://www.nyc.gov/content/visionzero/pages/data
- NY Senate. Vehicle and Traffic Law §§ 1111 and 1111-a (Traffic-Control Signals and Photo Monitoring). https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/VAT/1111
- NY Senate. EPTL § 5-4.1. https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/EPT/5-4.1
- NY Senate. (2026). Bill A10008 (Chapter 58 of 2026): CPLR § 1411 Amendment. https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A10008
Updated July 11, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many red-light cameras does NYC operate?
NYC operated approximately 150 red-light cameras for most of the program's history under a state-authorized cap. A 2024 law raised that cap to 600, and NYC DOT began activating the new cameras in early 2026, adding about 50 per week toward the full 600 by year end. The city has more than 13,000 signalized intersections, so even the expanded program reaches under 5% of locations where red-light violations can occur. The program is governed by Section 1111-a of the NY Vehicle and Traffic Law.
- What is the fine for running a red light caught on camera?
A red-light camera ticket carries a $50 civil penalty. It does not add points to the driver's license and is not reported to insurance carriers. By contrast, a red-light violation issued by a police officer under VTL 1111 carries a fine that can reach $450 for a first offense in New York City plus surcharges, three points on the license, and insurance consequences. The civil structure of the camera program is one reason advocates have criticized it as too light a deterrent.
- Can a driver who ran a red light be sued for a crash?
Yes. Running a red light is a per se violation of VTL 1111(d), and in New York, the violation can be used as evidence of negligence in a civil case. If the violation caused the crash, the driver is liable for resulting injuries and deaths. The injured party can pursue claims for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and, in fatal cases, wrongful death damages under EPTL 5-4.1.
- What is the statute of limitations for an NYC intersection crash claim?
Three years from the date of the crash for personal injury claims under CPLR 214(5). Two years from the date of death for wrongful death claims under EPTL 5-4.1. If the crash involved a city-owned vehicle or a city street defect, a Notice of Claim must be filed with the NYC Comptroller within 90 days under General Municipal Law 50-e, and a lawsuit must be filed within one year and 90 days under GML 50-i.
- What happens if I accidentally go on a red light?
Running a red light, even unintentionally, can create serious civil and criminal liability in New York. Under VTL § 1111, a driver who enters an intersection against a red signal has violated the Vehicle and Traffic Law, and that violation can be used as evidence of negligence in any personal injury lawsuit brought by someone hurt in the resulting crash. NYC's red-light camera program, administered through NYC DOT and tracked in NYC Open Data, captures thousands of violations each year, and that footage can surface in litigation to establish fault. If you were injured by a driver who ran a red light, intent generally doesn't reduce that driver's civil liability to you. CPLR § 214 gives most injured people three years to file a civil claim, though shorter notice-of-claim deadlines apply when a government entity is involved.
- How do I check if I got a red light ticket in New York?
Checking for a red-light camera ticket in NYC starts at the NYC Department of Finance website, where you can search by license plate or notice number. The city mails notices to the registered owner's address on file with the DMV, so an outdated address can leave a ticket unnoticed until it accumulates late fees or triggers a registration hold. You can also call 311 or visit a NYC Finance Business Center in person. Officer-issued summons records appear separately through the NYS DMV or NYC Traffic Violations Bureau. If you were injured in a crash caused by a driver who ran a red light, that violation history can be relevant evidence under VTL § 1111, and an attorney at AEE Law can help you understand how enforcement records factor into a personal injury claim.
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Antin, J. S. (2026, May 5). Red-Light Runners Killed Record New Yorkers in 2023: Where the Camera Data Stands Now. AEE Law Insights. https://aeelaw.com/insights/red-light-running-deaths-nyc/
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